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MAYA 



MAYA 



A DRAMA 



BY 

WILLIAM DUDLEY FOULKE 

Author of ''Dorothy Day^^ and 
of other books 



NEW YORK 

THE COSMOPOLITAN PRESS 

1911 






|A3 



Copyright, 1911, by 
William Dudley Foulke 



gCLD 28115 



MAYA 



DRAMATIS PERSONAE 

Pedro de Sandoval, survivor of a v^^recked crew of Spaniards 
cast ashore on the coast of Yucatan previous to the ex- 
ploitation of that country, his companions having been 
previously sacrificed to the gods by the natives, and 
Sandoval himself held in slavery, from w^hich he escaped. 

Ahpulaj king of the Maya race, inhabiting Yucatan, vi^ith 
his capital at Mani. 

Queen, w'lit of Ahpula. 

Ahkin Mai, high priest, and other sacrificial priests. 

Canek, lord of Peten-Itza, inhabiting Tayasol, a city upon 
an island in a lake in the southern part of Yucatan. 

Bacab, a spy of Canek. 

Maya, daughter of Ahpula. 

Ytzatil, Zayi and other maidens attendant upon Maya. 

Ambassador from Ahpula. 

Maria, Countess of Millaflores. 

Bishop of Mere da. 

Priests, monks, Spaniards, natives, etc. 

The scene is laid first at Mani ; then on the shore of the 
lake of Peten-Itza; again at Mani; aftervv^ards at Uxmal, 
the ancient capital of Yucatan at Merida. 

Time: Immediately preceding and following the Span- 
ish invasion of Yucatan. 



ACT I 

SCENE I 

The scene discloses one of the senotes, or large caves, in 
Yucatan, with a pool in the center and an orifice above 
from which light comes. Palm trees lean over the orifice 
and vines hang down from it. A chain of vines twisted 
together reaches the pool. There is a rock on the right of 
the stage large enough to conceal a man's body and pro- 
jecting into the pool. Tropical flowers and plants grow 
around the pool. Sandoval is discovered scantily and 
meanly clad, with a bow of saplings and a rude arrow. He 
has just awakened from a long sleep. 

Sandoval. 

If but the waking were the dream ! 

If but the dream were true ! 
How softly did the sunlight stream, 

How cool the breezes blew! 
Once more around my boyhood's home 
Through verdant meadows did I roam, 

And loitered by the brook 
That chattering through the valley flowed, 

Then down along the shady road 
My truant way I took. 

And there the white-walled cottage stood 

Bedecked with rose and vine; 
There browsing in the quiet wood 

Contented lowed the kine : 



lo MAYA ACT I 

From the far hamlet rang the stroke 
Of chapel bell ; the laggard smoke 

Curled slowly up the sky ; 
The flock came straggling down the lane, 
And from the thicket gushed a strain 

Of twittering melody ! 

What mad desire drove me from such a home ? 

Ah, what a land Is this ! No glistening stream. 

No lake nor laughing water anywhere 

Save In the dark recesses of these rocks. 

A low, sad land with stunted hills and trees — 

A sun that hurls Its rays upon the earth 

Till all things hide ; or slinks behind gray clouds 

As sullen as the land. Hot airs that choke 

The breath at noonday, and contagion bear 

With chill of night. Thickets with serpents filled 

And noisome insects, but no shade nor cheer ! 

I have outslept the day, outslept the night. 

Ah, but how sweet the rest after long toil ! 

If but a friend I had in these grim wilds ! 

How green the pool, and fresh and deep ! But whence 

Flows its clear current ? Outlet there Is none, 

Nor Ingress, yet the rocks give forth the stream 

And bear It hence away. There is my chain 

Of vines. See how It sways In the faint breeze 

While the leaves upward curl ! I must ascend 

And seek my food, for there Is none below. 

[Takes a deep draught from the pooh then 
looks again upon the rope of vines. 



SCENE I MAYA II 

Will the vines bear me ? Look ! the chain is loosed 
By constant swaying and the lowest link 
Uncoils. Quick ! I must climb it ere it part. 

[Climbs the rope, and just before he reaches 
the point where the lowest section was 
fastened to the one above, it parts and 
he falls back into the cavern. After a 
pause, rising, he looks at the broken links 
and then around him, and is gradually 
overcome by despair. 
Horrible fate ! Within this tomb immured 
Here must I waste and die ! There is no hope, 
No food, no succor ! Ah, thrice happy they, 
My lost companions, slaughtered to the gods 
Of this accursed land! The pang was short 
And there were friends together when they died. 
But the long hunger and the agony 
Alone ! Alone ! See that black vulture swoop 
Down through the narrow circle of the sky ! 
His beak may tear mine eyeballs as I lie 
Helpless awaiting death. Is there no hope ? 
Whence comes the breeze that upward curls the leaves? 
See ! See ! A curving track worn in the stone ! 
Whither it leads I must discover. Joy ! 

[Sandoval^ following the track, perceives be- 
hind a jutting rock, invisible except from 
a few yards' distance, an exit from the 
cavern, a loiu gallery leading into utter 
darkness. 



12 MAYA ACT I 

Here is deliverance ! Unknown the path, 

But any fate is better than this tomb ! 

[He disappears. After a few moments the 
low sounds of distant music, lueird and 
plaintivCj are heard, gradually becoming 
more distinct. Sandoval now returns 
hastily, goes to the farther end of the cav- 
ern and hides behind the rock projecting 
into the pool. A file of Indian maidens 
enter, led by Maya. The others bear 
fruits and flowers, have jars upon their 
shoulders, and carry lighted fagots, 
which they set down before the entrance. 

Chorus of Maidens. 

Honor to Ixtab, 
Keeper of Paradise ! 
Praise let us offer her, 
Fruits let us bear. 
Glory to Ixchel, 
Goddess of healing, 
Flowers let us bring to her 
Fragrant and fair! 
[They bring their jars to the pool, they splash 
their feet in the clear luater, they fill the 
vessels and set them down by the margin. 
Then they sit down themselves, and, di- 
viding some fruit and cakes of maize 
which they have brought with them, they 
begin to talk. 
Zayi. A golden anklet for the coming feast 

My brother promised me if I would make 



SCENE I MAYA 13 

For him a robe broidered in feather work, 
With yellow sun and serpent Kukulcan 
Bedecked with feathers worshiping. The robe 
Is ready. To thy wedding will I go, 
With anklet shining bright as thine, sweet queen. 

Ytzatil. Come let us sing our bride song for the feast. 
Chorus. Proud Peten-Itza, 

Warrior Canek, 
Prudent and crafty, 
Comes for his bride, — 
Maya, the fairest 
Daughter of Mani, 
Heir of the kingdom, 
Sits at his side. 
Maya. Maidens, cease j^our song. 

The suit of Peten-Itza brings no jo)^ 
Small hope of golden days with that grim lord 
In his far island city. If you deem 
My lot so happy, which of you will ask 
To follow me ? 

Zayi. I will go with thee. 

Another. I. 

Another. And I. 
Others. And I. 

Maya. What! All? You little know 

The fate you seek. 

Ytzatil. Yet no fate can be hard, 

O morning sunbeam, that we share with thee, , 

Whom all things love, even the very birds 
That hover with caresses round thy hand. 

Maya. But with me, children, you may not abide 



14 MAYA ACT I 

If suitors come to claim you. Know you then 
What manner of men are Peten-Itza's lords? 

Ytzatil [lauffhinff]. To me it matters not. A charm 
have I 
To bring me one brave, tall and strong and fair. 

[Produces a trinket^ a grotesque figure in clay, 
from the folds of her dress and shows it 
to Maya. 
Zayi [laughing^. Ah, lend it me until my lover comes! 
[Tries to seize it. Ytzatil flees and Zayi 
pursues her around the margin of the 
pool to the place where Sandoval is con- 
cealed. She perceives him. 
Ytzatil. Oh, look ! A dreadful god ! Come, let us flee ! 
[She runs headlong to the entrance of the cav- 
ern, seizes a fagot and escapes. The 
others follow. Maya remains and looks 
quietly toward the corner where Sando- 
val is concealed. He comes from his 
hiding-place and holds out his hand in 
supplication. 
Maya [after a pause] . Art thou the god of this senote? 
Sandoval. Nay. 

Only a man, poor, hungry, vi^ith no friends. 
Oh, pity me ! Let me not perish here. 
Nor die by sacrifice ! 

[Sandoval sinks on his knee, plucks a morsel 
of earth and brings it to his heart in 
token of submission, A smile of compas- 
sion steals over Maya's countenance. 
Maya. Where is thy home ? 



SCENE I MAYA 15 

Why hast thou come to a strange land where none 
Know who thou art ? What has befallen thee ? 

Sandoval. My native land is far across the sea 
Close to the sunrise. In a vast canoe 
With wings, borne by the winds, we came. A storm 
Wrecked the great vessel. In a little boat 
For thirteen dreadful days of quenchless thirst 
We drifted, and we cast one after one 
Our comrades' corpses into the steaming sea. 
At last we reached a low flat shore and sank 
Upon the sand in utter weariness. 

With screams a troop of dark-skinned men sprang forth 
From the close thickets. We were bound and held 
For sacrifice until one dreadful morn 
Our chief and four companions were dragged forth 
Up a steep pyramid, their hearts torn out 
And thrown into the face of the stern god 
That grinned upon the summit. Wild the feast 
And drunken rout that followed till our guards 
Slept, while we gnawed our bonds and madly fled 
Througli the grim wilderness. Then seized again 
We pined in hopeless slavery. I, who saw 
The remnant of our band thus perishing, 
Resolved upon a second flight alone, 
Content to be the comrade of the deer, 
The wildcat and the serpent — better far 
Than endless bondage with its stripes and toil! 
Here are its marks, scars of the lash unhealed. 
Then the pools dried and water failed. No streams 
Nor brooks nor fountains! Thirsting unto death 
To this deep cavern I descended. There 



1 6 MAVA ACT I 

The broken chain of vines down which I climbed, 
Thou knowest the rest. Behold me here, thy slave! 

[He sinks to the ground and kisses the hem 
of her garment. 
Pity and save ! 

Maya, [quietly.^ Come with me, have no fear. 

\_Shows him a recess in the rocks covered with 
vines. She takes the mantle from her 
shoulders and throws it over him. Then 
she returns and walks across the senate 
toward the entrance of the cavern. 

[Reflecting.] How could I see those blue eyes turned 
On me while on the sacrifical stone he lies ? 

But how to save him? Here he cannot stay. 

My father's men will find him and his fate 

Is certain death, for Ahkin Mai fails not 

In duty to the gods! Ah, what a doom! [She shudders.] 

When Peten-Itza comes to claim my hand 

I must depart, while this poor wanderer 

Remains alone to die! It shall not be! 

Did not my maidens take him for a god? 

Gods walk the earth. Even great Zamna came 

And taught us laws and writing and the ways 

Of sun and stars and healing. Kukulcan 

Changed into form of man his serpent guise, 

And Chilan Balam's books of prophecies 

Foretell a god shall come across the sea. 

The god is here, so Ytzatil declared. 

All will believe. But the real deities! 

Will they avenge the guile, or bend their smiles 



SCENE I MAYA 17 

On me In pity? Let me learn their will. 

[She picks up a handful of maize and holds it 
forth. 
Zahuy! goddess! Vestal fair! 
Will they punish? Will they spare? 
What will please the gods in heaven ? 
Will they send me happy days? 
Let me count the grains of maize. yCountsJ] 
Ay, they smile! the tale is even! 
Here are the jars. I must recall my maidens. 

[^Goes out. Orchestra. Returns, followed 
by her suite. 
Zayi. Thanks to the Ixchel, thou art safe and well ! 
Ytzatil. Did he not harm thee? Whither has he 

gone? 
Maya. Fairest of gods he was, and harmed me not. 
When flowers for sacrifice I vowed, he smiled 
And glided o'er the water to my side. 
Then rose from the deep pool in the thin air 
Through the cave's mouth and floated up to heaven. 
Zayi. But whence came this fair god? Where is his 

home? 
Maya. Close to the sunrise, far across the sea. 
There did he build great palaces of clouds 
And lay when weary in their shining halls. 
Then scattering them at will, he leaped to earth 
And walked among his people, sent them rain 
Or sun as they might need, and learned their waj^s. 
The wicked he destroyed; the just he crowned 
With blessings. When the land with plenty smiled, 
He thought of other climes where cruel strife 



1 8 MAYA ACT I 

And drought and famine laid their heavy hands 
Upon the suffering earth. These lands to seek 
A great canoe he fashioned with white wings 
And guided it along the ocean stream. 

And often to the skies 

On the seagull's wings he'd rise 
To gaze afar if land he might discover. 

But shoreless was the deep 

Though the clouds in masses steep 
Did as mountains on the gray horizon hover. 

Anon he changed his form, 

And plunging through the storm 
With serpents and sea monsters did he rollick; 

Dive and swim and sport and blow, 

Through the swelling billows go 
With the flying-fish and dolphins In their frolic. 

Again within his boat 

Would he sit and calmly float. 
The laughing ripples round his pathway shining ; 

Till the swelling sails he spread 

And along the waters sped 
To the golden sunset and the day's declining. 

Thus many moons he fared, 

And storm and sunshine shared, 
Until upon the Maya shores he landed. 

Now would he seek the king 

And aid and counsel bring. 
To win the tribes that in revolt are banded. 



SCENE I MAYA 19 

And soon shall come the day 

When Ahpula shall bear sway 
O'er all our warring factions reunited; 

And Uxmal, as of yore, 

To its ancient state restore, 
And justice speak, till every wrong be righted. 

That the glory of our race 

May shine in every place 
As sovereign lord must he appear before you. 

Then array him like a king 

When the stranger god you bring 
To share Ahpula's wide dominion o'er you. 

And thus in pomp arrayed, the stranger god 

Shall we lead forth to Mani, like a king. 

But until all is ready tell to none 

What you have seen, nor stir my father's wrath 

Against you that you left me here alone 

When the god first you saw. 

Zayi. We will obey. 

Ikal. We love thee 

Ytzatil. And we fear thy punishment ! 

Maya, 
Bear you the water jars without the cave. 
Await me in the gardens of the king. 

[^The maidens withdraw. Maya goes to the 
recess where Sandoval is concealed and 
draws aside the vines that hang in front 
of it. Sandoval comes forth. 



20 MAYA ACT I 

Didst hear my tale? No? Then I must tell thee all. 

My maidens took thee for a stranger god. 

And one with fair locks and blue eyes like thine 

Our books of prophecy have long foretold. 

Therefore we will array thee like a god, 

And when the robes are ready we will come 

And lead thee to the palace of the king, 

My father, at whose side thou shalt abide. 

Sandoval. Thy father, king of Mani ! What am I ? 

\^He kneels and kisses the hem of her robe. 
That thou shouldn't pity me? [She raises him. 

Nay, gracious queen! 

Maya. Ahpula is the king of all the tribes 
That bear the Maya name, a name he gave 
His daughter when her infant brother died, 
For in her was the hope of all her race. 
Here do we dwell to-day, but far away, 
Where the low hills slope southward, is a burg 
Fairest of all, builded in ancient days — 
Great Uxmal. There our royal fathers reigned 
Till war between the tribes destruction wrought 
To the proud race. Then those who still were true 
Followed the king in exile, built a town 
Called "Mani" — "It is past" — for the great days 
Were gone, and here in echoes faint we reign 
Of the proud worship and imperial pomp 
Of mighty Uxmal. Me, last of the line, 
Chief of the sacred sisterhood, they made, — 
Those daughters of the Sun who keep alive 
The fire within his shrine, and fruits and flowers 
Bear to the goddesses. Thus have I learned 



SCENE I MAYA 21 

The lore of priests and gods. 

Sandoval. What must I do 

When to the king I come? 

Maya. Stand thou erect. 

And bid him kneel, for thus do kings to gods. 
Speak in thy native tongue, and what he asks 
Answer in that alone. 

Sandoval. How shall he learn 

What I have spoken? 

Maya. Though I know it not, 

I will maintain it is the speech of gods 
Which thou hast taught me. I will be thy voice 
And make reply that all shall be content. 
But thou must ever do what I declare, 
And ever at my side must thou abide. 
Lest they discover thee. 

Sandoval. Whate'er thou bid'st, 

That will I do. For am I not thy slave ? 

Maya. [Strangely distraught^ — after a pause. ^ Each 
day I come again to bear thee food 
Till all shall be prepared. Farewell. 

Sandoval. Farewell. 

[Maya retires. 
The dream is idle. Can she look on me. 

She, King Ahpula's daughter. 
On me, a wretched outcast, by her hand 
Raised and redeemed from slaughter? 

Can she, a priestess, to the immortal gods 

Forever consecrated. 
Defile her sacred order, break her vow, 

And with a man be mated? 



22 MAYA ACT I 



Ah, no! 'Tis pity only moves her heart 

My wretched life to save, 
And I must live forever at her side 

Content to be her slave! 

Curtain. 



ACT II. 

Scene I. Same. 

Sandoval. 
Dark as the night were the eyes of the maiden, 

Yet shining within like the stars in the skies, — 
With tears of compassionate tenderness laden. 

They gazed on my sorrows and bade me arise. 

How thoughtful the brow that was crowned by the 
tresses 
That fell from her shoulders, black, braided, and long, 
While her accents, from lips that were made for caresses. 
Turned speech into music and words into song ! 

\^Retires into the recess covered with vines. 
Maya enters and pauses at the entrance 
of the senote. 
Maya. Shining and fair 

Are the robes I bear 
To array the new god for the king. 
The mantle is white 
And the sandals bright, 
And sparkling the gems of the ring. 

The sword is keen 

And the plumage green. 
From the quetzal crown that nods; 

And the necklace bright 

With the opal's light. 
They are garments worthy of gods! 



24 MAYA ACT II 

The chieftains wait 

At the palace gate. 
The nobles and priests are there — 

Till the stranger I bring 

To confront the king 
And the will of the gods declare. 

But how shall I tell 

(He should fancy it well!) 
The secret that hides in m)^ breast. 

For I must abide 

As a wife at his side 
To pronounce the god's behest. 

Yet never a word 

Of love have I heard. 
And whenever he kneels at my side, 

His bosom will swell 

And the hot tears well, 
But he asks not to make me his bride. 

Is it deep despair, 
Is it sorrow and care, 
That preys on the wanderer's cheek? 
Would he be but my slave 

For the life I gave? 
Alas ! It is I must speak ! 

[Approaches the recess where Sandoval is 
concealed. 



SCENE I MAYA 25 

All is prepared. The garments I have brought. 

Sandoval appears. 

Let me array thee, for the king doth wait 

With chiefs and priests and a great multitude, 

And they will question thee that they may know 

Thou art a god indeed ; for much amazed 

Was King Ahpula when I told the tale 

How in the cave we found thee. He had planned 

To wed me to a chieftain of the south, — 

Canek, the lord of Peten-Itza's isle, 

A crafty ruler of a mighty tribe, 

And win his aid to crush the rebel hordes 

That still hold out against us. But I said 

That Peten-Itza's vows were words of guile, 

That thou alone couldst save the royal house, 

And that to thee his daughter should be given, 

And not to Canek. For my lord must know 

[Turning away her face. 
If I may save him I must be his wife. 

Sandoval. [Greatly agitated.^ But stay! Thy vow! 
For art thou not the chief 
Of the Sun's vestals? How then canst thou wed? 

Maya. It is allowed the virgins of the temple. 

Sandoval. [Embracing her, his face transfigured with 
joy.^ 
What! May I dwell forever more beside thee. 

Within my arms thy gracious form enfold? 
And vow eternal faith whate'er betide thee 

And breathe such love as never yet w^as told? 



26 MAYA ACT II 

Oh, queen ! the heavens themselves bend down to bless thee, 
A brighter glow adorns the morning sky, 

The breezes fan their soft wings to caress thee, 
All nature sings and smiles when thou art by! 

Maya. 
O, love, how shamed am I that I did woo thee. 

That all unsought my passion I confessed! 
That I, a queen, like a poor slave did sue thee 

Ere thou didst own the flame that filled thy breast! 

Curtain. 



ACT II 

Scene II. 

Palace of Ahpula at Mani. On the right center a 
terrace surmounted by a broad flight of steps, with the pal- 
ace on top. On the left is the temple of the Sun, on an- 
other terrace, nearly the same height. A procession appears 
from the right, with-the King in a litter, and at his side 
Sandoval, Ahkin Mai, priests, Maya and her maidens, 
and a multitude following. The King, Sandoval, and 
Ahkin Mai, followed by Maya, mount the steps to the 
platform in the front of the three doors of the palace. The 
maidens and the multitude remain below. Sandoval 
speaks in his own tongue. [Rendered only by the orches- 
tra.^ Maya, zuho has followed him, stands by his side and 
thus interprets. 

Maya. 

O King Ahpula, (is his word,) 

Hear the pale god's command! 
Kneel ! Take his blessing ! Kiss the sword 
He beareth in his hand ! 

[Ahpula kneels and kisses the sword which 
Sandoval offers him. The multitude 
below also kneel. Sandoval speaks 
again in the unknown tongue, and Maya 
thus interprets. 



28 MAYA ACT II 

Maya. 

Well hast thou done, O king. Arise! 

Hereafter, side by side, 
Forever bound bj^ love's strong ties 

As bridegroom to his bride, 
Shall we together rule the land. 

Together guide the state. 
And sheltered by a god's strong hand 
Thy kingdom shall grovr great. 

[The High Priest now offers flowers 
brought from within the palace. Sand- 
oval speaks again, and Maya renders 
the meaning of his words. 
Though small the need, thy gifts I take — 

For how should he lack flowers 
Beneath whose breath the blossoms break 

In roses on youx bowers? 
Yet dearer far than aught you give 

In nature or in art 
I prize 5^our deeds, the lives you live. 
The tributes of the heart. 

{^Chorus from the multitude below, who pros- 
trate themselves upon the ground, touch 
their fi?igers to the earth, and place them 
upon their hearts in token of worship. 
Chorus. 

Thus speak the gods! This is a god indeed, 
Dropped from the skies to help us in our need! 
Ahkin Mai [with embarrassment.^ How long, O 
mighty one, before the feast 
To Chaac, the god of cornfields? What the prayers 



SCENE II MAYA 29 

And solemn rites which we must offer him? 

[Sandoval speaks and Maya thus interprets. 
Maya. O Ahkin Mai, why ask what thou dost know? 
Not twice eight times the Cross has climbed the skies 
Since thou didst mount the temple stairs and there 
Didst put the self-same question to the stars — 
The immortal stars that never speak in vain — 
And they did answer thee. Why ask again? 

Ahkin Mai. True, mighty one, the stars can never lie, 
Yet old am I, and my poor eyes grow dim. 

Sandoval. \_By Maya.] But upon every temple in 
the land 
A priest went forth that night and made report. 
Each answer was the same. How couldst thou doubt? 

[Ahkin Mai^ overwhelmed with confusion, 
is silent. 
Chorus. Try him no more. Let all in worship kneel ! 
Doubt not his power lest we his vengeance feel ! 

[All kneel. 
Ahpula. To this high festival shall Canek come, 
Fierce Peten-Itza's lord. My daughter's hand 
He seeks, and I have promised it. His aid 
He offers to subdue the rebel tribes. 
Dost thou know Canek? Shall I trust his word? 

Sandoval. [By Maya.] I know him, for the gods 
are quick to learn — 
And once I visited his island city 

And through the streets of Tayasal 

In serpent form did glide, 
And stole into his council hall 
And hid me at his side. 



30 MAYA ACT II 

And there I heard the faithless plot 

He laid to win thy throne, 
I came to warn thee. Trust him not ! 

But guard thy crown alone! 

With many a warrior will he come 

In peaceful garb arrayed, 
And prone before thee bend his plume 

And pledge his proffered aid, 

While underneath the girdle hid 

Each man will wear a knife. 
And at the feast, by Canek bid, 

Will draw it forth for strife. 

Thee and thy chieftains will they kill. 

Thy honored queen enslave. 
Thy land with flame and havoc fill 

Till Mani yawns — a grave ! 

It is not meet thy daughter wed 

Her father's deadliest foe, — 
The aid thou seek'st I grant instead, 

Through me thy realm shall grow. 

And since gods speak a tongue unknown 

To mortals, and will tell 
Their high behests to one alone, 

And one they cherish well. 



SCENE II MAYA 31 

Therefore I choose me for my voice 

That with me must abide — 
And do thou, King, confirm my choice — 

Thy daughter as my bride. 

Ahpula. \_To the multitude J\ 

So let it be. The feast prepare 

A god our child has won ! 
And with her let the bridegroom share 

The temple of the Sun. 
Chorus. 

Come, let us haste, the feast prepare— - 

A god our queen has won! 
And we must deck with garlands rare 

The temple of the Sun. 

Now happy days and golden hours 

Shall bless the Maya land, 
While plenteous crops and cooling showers 

Are scattered by his hand ! 

Curtain. 



ACT II 

Scene III. The same. 

Midnight. Full moon. Maya and Sandoval on the 
platform in front of the Temple of the Sun. The escort 
which has attended them nozu zuithdraius. The torches 
are put out and the banners furled. 

Sandoval. Ah ! My own ! 
Now at last are we alone! 

All are gone ! The banners furled, 
Quenched the torches, stilled the voices, 
Hushed the rude carousal's noises, 

And we two are all the world ! 

Maya. Thou art mine! 
Ah! how bright thy blue eyes shine! 

Be, then, wise and great and brave 
Like the god I have declared thee ! 
Bless the realm I have prepared thee, 

And my king and people save! 

Blessed fate! 
More than ro5^al is my state! 

Never lingering behind ; 
I shall ever keep beside thee. 
Share the lot the fates provide thee, 

Happiest of womankind! 



34 MAYA ACT II 

Long may we thus abide ! 
Long may the dread 

Yuncemil, who cuts short men's days, 
Falter and hesitate ere on thy head. 

Crowned with these golden locks, he lays 
His skeleton hand to tear thee from my side! 
But should he come, I too will follow him 
And make the dreadful journey to the world 
Of spirits. There together shall we walk 
Between the crags that hang on either side 
The narrow path to crush the fearful hearts 
Of the unworthy. Thee they shall not harm, 
For I with my great love will shelter thee 
Until thou pass. When we together meet 
The worm whose huge bulk writhes along the plain. 
We shall not fear him, for his sting destroys 
None but the craven souls that flee. The ''Wind 
Of Knives" shall beat in vain the while we cross 
The desert's eight and nine great streams that flow 
Past islands of the dead — there must I lean 
On thy strong arm, for thou dost know the ways 
Of the waters, that they overwhelm us not. 
And when we reach the gardens of the blest, 
Ixtab the goddess will come forth to meet 
Ahpula's child, and thee too will she greet 
When I shall tell her that thou art my love. 
And she will lead us to the Tree of Life, 
Yaxche, whose branches wide stretch o'er the flood, 
And there the maids of Paradise shall spread 
Our tables, bring us food and wine, and I 
Shall sing to thee in the cool shade forever. 



SCENE III MAYA 35 

Thus will it be with us, if thou shalt die ; 

But if I go before thee, I will ask 

Ixtab, the queen, to change me to a bird, 

And homeward will I spread my wings and fly 

Back to thy home and mine, and thou shalt see me 

Flitting among the boughs, and at thy door 

I'll flutter and upon thy shoulder light, 

And loud and clear I'll sing when thou art glad 

And soft and low when thou art filled with grief, — 

To bring thee comfort. Thou wilt not forget? 

For shouldst thou seek another bride, my voice 

Will choke and my wings droop and I will hide 

From thee and mourn. 

Sandoval. I seek another bride? 

Forget thee? If my heart shall ever beat 
With any thought untwined with love of thee 
May it be still forever ! 

Maya. [Releasing him and gazing into his eyes.~\ Be 
then true 
Not in this life alone, but through the shades 
Of Mitnal. When thou comest after me, 
I will be with thee on the dreadful way. 
I will caress thy cheek with my soft plumes 
And sing a song of triumph in thine ear 
'Mid the dark terrors. Ixtab will I call, 
To tell her thou art coming, and prepare 
Thy home and mine under the Tree of Life, 
Where I shall be thy bride again and dwell 
With thee forever. 

Sandoval. Hereafter let us speak 

Of gods and paradise, but for to-night 



36 MAYA ACT II 

Think onlj^ of our love. There is no heaven 
That is not lighted by thy shining eyes, no earth 
Unpressed by footfall of thy dainty feet! 

Maya. But why, my love, should we put off the time 
When we shall know each other utterly? 
Nay, tell me now the secrets of thy faith. 

Sandoval. Hard is it to relate for one unskilled. 
Three-fold our God. The Father of us all. 
Who did the world create; next. His dear Son, 
Who died upon the Cross to save mankind ; 
And from these two proceed the Holy Ghost, 
The Comforter. To testify of these, — 
The Church, the angels, martyrs, and the saints, 
All who believe and crown their firm belief 
With holy life, — the joys of heaven may share. 
And the bright vision of the great white throne. 
While those who sin are cast for penance due 
Long time in purgatory — or in hell 
Endure forever pain and torments dire. 

Maya. But w^hen the joys of heaven thou shalt attain 
Am I to be thy bride? 

Sandoval. [After a silence.~\ That know I not. 
So great our happiness we shall not miss 
The transient love of earth. 

Maya. Didst thou not say 

There was no heaven for thee where my eyes 
Could never shine ? Didst thou not promise me 
That thou wouldst ne'er forget? Art thou content 
To be my husband for a few brief years? 



SCENE III MAYA 37 

Thy love is not like mine! 

[Her head falls in grief upon his breast. He 
. stands irresolute, but cannot comfort her. 
At last, with an overpowering impulse, 
he passionately presses her to his heart. 
Sandoval. Nay, my beloved, 

Ne'er will I leave thee, neither on earth, in heaven. 
Nor midst the pains of hell ! Where'er thou art 
There will I be. Beneath the Tree of Life 
Will we together dwell, and all thy gods 
And dreams of paradise, they shall be mine! 

\^She stands erect in the moonlight and her 
face is transfigured by her joy. Then 
they walk hand in hand into the bridal 
chamber and draw together the heavy 
curtains that shut out the world. 



ACT II 

Scene IV. 

Peten-Itza. Shore of a lake. On the right is an island 
in the distance crowned by the pyramids, the temples, and 
the low white houses of Tayasal. Canek and his war- 
riors disembark from their canoes and advance to meet 
the embassy from Ahpula^ advancing on the left with 
Sandoval and Maya at its head in Utters. When they 
reach the shore they descend from the litters and stand 
azuaiting the old chief. As Canek approaches and sees 
the thick tresses and dark eyes of Maya and her uncon- 
scious majesty, a great desire possesses him. 

Canek. [Apart.] When King Ahpula's daughter I 
shall wed 
This maid shall be my slave, for there is none 
Like her upon the earth! 

[Making his obeisance to Sandoval. 
[Aloud.] O thou who comest 
From the great king, what message dost thou bring? 

[Sandoval speaks to Maya apart {rendered 
by the orchestra) , and she thus interprets. 

Sandoval. [By Maya.] 
More than Ahpula's messenger am I. 

I am the god your prophets have foretold, 
And all your inmost thoughts I can descry 

And your most secret purposes unfold. 

Hither I came your hearts and lives to mould ; 



40 MAYA ACT 11 

But my deep counsels will I never share 

Save in the speech of gods! These I withhold 
Till she, my priestess, shall the message bear, 
And from the god's own tongue their meaning shall 
declare. 
Canek. [Eyeing him doubtfullyJ] What says the king? 
[Sandoval speaks, and Maya^ flushing with 
anger, thus interprets. 
Sandoval [by Maya.] Rich gifts Ahpula sends and still 
he seeks 
Thy love and friendship, but his daughter's hand 
Thou canst not have, for I have wedded her, 
And she is here, my priestess and my bride. 

Canek. [Eyeing her gloomily, then, after a pause, to 
his own follozvers in uncontrollable rage.] 
Seize the false god! Drag him to Tayasal, 
And with him sacrifice his followers all! 
Their hearts shall smoke! Their lives he cannot save! 
Bind the king's daughter! She shall be my slave! 

[His folloivers, filled with awe at the com- 
manding presence of the stranger, trem- 
ble and no man moves. Canek draws 
his bow. 
Cowards! What fear 56? Let mine arrow speed, 
For man he is, no god. Look! He shall bleed! 

[Discharges his bow. Maya leaps in front of 
Sandoval and receives the arrow on her 
arm. Their followers draw their bows. 
Canek^S men retreat in dismay, and one 
of them falls; the others bear him off. 



SCENE IV MAYA 41 

Chorus. Quick! Let us flee! His life doth bear a 
charm. 
Offend no more a god thou canst not harm. 

[Canek^ left alone, is forced to follow thein. 
They embark in their canoes. Maya 
falls. 
Maya. No, love, it pains me not. 

[Breaks the shaft and draws it out. 

I am not harmed. 

[Sandoval seeks to staunch the blood, tears 

his mantle and winds the shreds above 

the wound. 

Maya. [Softly to Sandoval^ bjit her words are heard 

by one of their attendants.] Wind the shreds lower down. 

Be not alarmed. 

[She becomes unconscious. They place her 
in the litter and bear her away. Sand- 
oval walks by her side. 

Curtain. 



ACT III. 
Scene I. 

Some months have elapsed since the second act. Palace 
at Mani. Ahpula and Maya. 

Ahpula. Where Is thy lord ? His counsel I would seek 
On high affairs of state. Three moons ago 
Thou know'st a messenger from Canek came 
To tell me he repented his rash act 
When thee he struck, seeking to slay thy lord ; 
And the old chief his homage sent, and love. 
Bacab, the emissary, was made priest 
Of Echuah, but one night he disappeared 
And none can tell me whither he has gone. 
Now come fresh messengers to say the chief 
Draws nigh with weighty matters to deliver. 
Maya, 

Trust him not! Ahpula! Father! 
When his name I hear thee speak. 
Keen I feel his stinging arrow, 
Shrill I hear his piercing shriek ! 

Still his leering eyes pursue me ! 

With me would the monster mate ! 
Every fiber of my being 

Stirs with loathing and with hate! 



44 MAYA ACT III 

Ahpula. But when thou knewst thy husband couldst 
not die, 

Why didst thou fling thee in the arrow's path? 

Maya. Far more than life I loved him. When I saw 

The arm of Canek lifted I thought not 

If he were god or man. I only saw 

The arrow and my husband ! 

Ahpula. [Caressing her.] Dear my child, 

Thou hast the heart of all our royal line ! 

But put not thus again thy life at stake. 

Thou canst not aid thy lord, and must not die, 

For in thee is the hope of all thy race. 

[Sandoval, who has become the Nacon or 
general of the king, now descends the 
steps of the temple on the left. Mean- 
while Canek, attended by a cortege, 
approaches from the right, and Ahpula's 
five councilors come down the center, 
Sandoval, the councilors, and Canek, 
with three of his followers {among them 
Bacab, priest of Echuah], now mount 
the steps of the palace. When they reach 
the platform at the top, Canek falls to 
the earth before the king. 
Canek. O king, forgiveness grant for my rash words 

And for my rage at thy ambassador. 

So greatly did I love thee that my heart 

Was filled with passion when I saw the bride 

Whom thou hadst promised given to another; 

But I will make atonement, for I come. 

Thy faithful slave, to show thee thou art wronged 



SCENE I MAYA 45 

In thine own household and to rescue thee 
From shame and ruin. Bacab, stand thou forth! 

[Pointing to Sandoval. 
Tell what this false god spoke when thou didst lurk 
Within the temple's chamber and didst hear 
His converse with his bride. 

Bacab. Bright was the moon, 

The city was asleep, and I lay hid 
Behind the curtain in the temple chamber 
Where the king's daughter with her lord abides. 
Forth to the terrace they together walked 
While I peeped out and saw them, and I heard 
His faithless words: ''Ah, little have I done 
To earn the wealth of love that I have won !" 
She answered, "Though thou couldst not heal my wound 
When Canek's arrow smote me and I swooned, 
I cherish thee the more, for how could I 
Be the brief bride of one who could not die 

Nor suffer? Nay, thy very need 
For thee did plead 
More than the strength that all the gods could give. 

I saw thee doomed to die, 

I loved thee utterly, 
I bade thee rise, become a god and live." 
Then answered he, "Too much thy w^ords do prove, 
For precious as thou art in the king's eye, 

And in thy people's love, 

Little thy need of me / 

A wandering outcast; yet I cherish thee 
Beyond all price." And she, "I need thee not! 
The world would be a desert every hour 



46 MAYA ACT III 

Wert thou not at my side." And now their lips 

Together came and to the chamber both 

Withdrew. Then while they seemed to sleep I rose 

From my dark corner and the curtain drew 

Softly to steal away. But as I passed 

The moon gleamed through the doorway. Then she 

waked, 
Walked to the terrace, watched the gleaming skies 
And the white town, and when her husband followed 
I heard her say to him, ''It must have been 
Xibalba, 'he who fades,' for he has passed 
Like a soft mist, and the stars shine again." 

Canek. He hath confessed that he was not a god 
Nor could he heal thy daughter. Let him die! 

[Sandoval stands confused and silent. 

Maya. Wilt thou believe the tale of a base spy 
Who lurked and vanished like the Evil One? 

Ahpula. Why does the god not speak? Could he not 
heal thee? 

Canek. Nay, let us try him. Put his sword aside 
And give me thine, and if he shall not fall, 
Offer me to the gods in sacrifice ! 
I cannot harm him if he know not death — 
But if he bleed then let his own heart smoke ! 

Maya. Bitter will be thy punishment, O king. 
If churl of thine make trial of a god! 

Ahpula. But thou hast spoken of thine own device, 
Not at the god's command. Nay, let it be 
As Canek says. 

[The councilors take the Nacon^s sword and 
the king offers his own to Canek. 



SCENE I MAYA 47 

Maya. [Interposing. '\ Stay! not upon the god, 
But against thee will Canek lift thy sword! 

[The King hesitates, but while Maya is 
still looking at her father Canek draws 
from his girdle a sharp knife, leaps upon 
Sandoval and thrusts the blade into his 
side. Sandoval with one blow fells 
Canek to the ground, but while he still 
writhes at the King^S feet the old chief 
cries in triumph, — 
Canek. See! the god bleeds! Now let him heal him- 
self! [Sandoval falls unconscious. Consternation. 
Ahpula. Seize the false god! Bind him for sacrifice! 
And for the daughter who has cozened us, 
Within the penance chamber let her lie. 
Her fate we shall determine. 

Canek. O King! grant 

That I may take the place of the false god 
As Nacon of the king, and lead his troops 
Against the rebel tribes. And when they fall 
And we return in triumph, let my hand 
(Tho' there is little honor in the deed) 
Tear out his heart and offer it with prayers 
To our offended gods, and at the feast 
Do thou bring forth thy daughter and command 
She eat the meat of sacrifice. To me, 
As thou didst promise, grant her as my wife, 
To keep her so that she break faith no more. 

Ahpula. Go forth as Nacon of the king. I know 
Thy skill and power in battle. The false god 
Shall perish by the Nacon's hand indeed ; 



48 MAYA ACT III 

For this his task, but let not Maya taste 

The food of sacrifice, nor will it be 

Light task for thee to keep her as thy bride. 

[Maya^ unperceivedj has picked up Canek's 
knife and hides it. 
Canek. Only into my hands deliver her. 
And old although I be, I still shall find 
Some gentle way to make her serve her lord ! 

Curtain. 



ACT III 

Scene II. 

The same, after some weeks. Sandoval is brought 
forth with other captives, all bound for sacrifice. One is 
already stretched upon the altar. Maya^ in festal gar- 
ments, with sad face, but eyes gleaming with unshaken 
spirit. Canek^ his long hair annointed with blood, is 
acting as chief sacrificial priest. Four other priests hold 
the arms and feet of the captive on the altar. Other 
priests behind. The KiNG^ Queen and court attend. 

Chorus [of Sacrificial priests.] 

Beat the tunkul, strike the drum ! 

Kukulcan, to thee we come, 

Bless thee that we met the foe, 

Smote him sore and laid him low! 

Make us triumph once again! 

Give us offspring, health, and rain. 

See what troop of slaves we bring! 

Sacrifice them while we sing! 

Human hearts thy maw shall sate — 

See them smoke and palpitate! 
Canek. Next let us place the pale god on the altar. 
Ahpula. \_Tq Maya.] Stay, child, thou hast de- 
ceived me, and the god 
Whom thou didst bring was false. Therefore the chief 



50 MAYA ACT III 

To whom I promised thee may claim thy hand. 
Canek shall be thy husband. 

Maya. Dost thou dream 

That for a single hour I would survive 
My lord, or fancy I would live the bride 

[^Drawing forth the knife wound in the tresses 
of her hair. 
One moment of his murderer? Nay, come 
Not near, or at one blow shall perish 
The hope of all thy line ! And must I slay 
The child whose heart beats under mine? Then last 
Of all thy race thou shalt be, for my knife 
Shall not be put aside till thou hast freed 
My lord and pledged to me thy royal word 
He may go forth in peace, and I will follow. 

[The Queen-Mother plucks Ahpula's robe 
and supplicates him. 

Queen. Bethink thee, O my lord, we must not lose 
Our child. Long years have I watched over her 
And loved her, and she ever was the pride 
Of thine own heart. Hard, when at thy command, 
I spoke not with her nor looked upon her face 
During the days of her captivity. 
Yet thou didst will it, and I did obey. 
But now, sweet lord, we must not see her die ! 
Pardon her and the stranger whom she loves. 
And set them free ! 

Ahpula. [Aside.] Perhaps I love her more 
Because she hath defied me. [Aloud.] Ahkin Mai, 
Pronounce thy judgment. May the twain depart? 



SCENE II MAYA 51 

Ahkin Mai. [Aside, with deep feeling.^ Lo! I have 
been the teacher of this child, 
And love her. [A loud. ^ Great has been the sacrilege, 
But let the deathless gods avenge the deed. 
Thy daughter must not die w^hile Mani lacks 
An heir. Let them depart. 

Ahpula. Canek shall speak. 

Canek. If they must go, O king, let Maya swear 
That she will send her child when it is weaned 
Back to thy court. To Mani will I come 
And rear it for my own, and be its sire. 
For is not that my right? Was not the maid 
First pledged to me? And if the king should die 
Ere the babe come to manhood, I shall rule. 

Ahpula. [Making proclamation.^ So shall it be. My 
daughter may depart 
With the false lord by whom she was beguiled. 
But they shall dwell far from the homes of men. 
And when their child is weaned, it shall be sent 
To Mani, and Canek shall be its sire. 
This must my daughter with an oath confirm. 

Maya. [Aside.] What oath will I not take to save 
my lord? 
[Aloud.] May every god afflict me if I fail! 

[Sandoval is released from his bonds. King^ 
QuEEN^ and followers depart. The 
Queen reluctant, looking often back at 
her daughter. Mayans maidens remain. 
Canek lingers behind, eyeing Maya and 
Sandoval keenly. 



52 MAYA ACT III 

Canek. [Aside.^ It Is but for a time! For when the 
child 
Is born, the king shall die and none will know 
Why he hath sickened. And when Canek reigns 

[Pointing to Maya and Sandoval. 
Their hearts shall smoke In bloody sacrifice! [Exit. 

Sandoval. But whither lies our path? 

Maya. To great Uxmal, 

The long forsaken city of my sires, 
Where there are stately dwellings In whose halls 
The last of Uxmal's line may find a home. 
Our love will greater grow In solitude, 
Till in some happier hour we shall return. 
What says my lord ? 

Sandoval. In forest or In court 

If thou art there It will be paradise! 

Curtain. 



ACT III 

Scene III. 

Court in front of the House of the Nuns at JJxmal. 
Small bushes are growing in the foreground and on the 
roof. The House of the Diviner rises behind it. Orioles 
are singing in the thickets. Sandoval and Maya enter 
from the right, Maya bearing her child. 

Maya. 

Hark ! how clear that warbler sings, 

Full and high in gladsome measures 
While with joy and pride he brings 

To the mother bird his treasures! 
Hear her answer low and soft 

While above her brood she hovers, 
To the notes that from aloft 

Tell us that the twain are lovers ! 
Ah, dear my lord, e'en thou would'st strive In vain 
To sing for me so passionate a strain ! 
Sandoval. 

But well I know no bird in any tree 
Has ever loved its mate as I love thee ! 
Maya. 

When me, a tender babe a s'nnight old, 

My father to the temple chamber brought ; 
He laid me on a bed of ashes cold 
That out of fragrant leaves the priests had wrought. 



54 MAYA ACT III 

And when my tiny form the ashes pressed 
That smooth and white upon the altar lay, 

The priests with solemn chant the chamber blessed, 
And then with reverent footsteps went their way. 

What next upon the ashes they might find, 
What mark of bird or beast or creeping thing, 

With mine that creature's fate should be entwined, 
Whether to run or crawl or spread the wing. 

And when the priests returned to learn my doom 
They found the footprints of an oriole! 

Somewhere that bird, with black and yellow plume 
Pours forth in song the echoes of my soul ! 

In all its joys and raptures I shall share, 

Its strains of gladness piercing the bright sky. 

Its load of grief and sorrow I must bear. 
And if it perish, in that hour I die. 

When to the land of shadows I shall come 

Into a bird shall Ixtab change my soul. 
And in the trees that overhang my tomb 

Thou'lt hear the carol of the oriole. 

[Pointing to the fagade of the Nuns House. 
How fair this temple, radiant as a star! 

Had Canek not betrayed us, here thy throne 
Had been established. 

Sandoval. Yet more precious far 

Will be these quiet days with thee alone ! 

The mother singing to her child, the wife — 
Such kingdom is a fairer destiny ! 



SCENE III MAYA 55 

Maya, 

Alas! that word! The child! How like a knife 

It pierces me! With his first baby cry 
And pressure of his tiny fingers, came 

The dreadful thought that he was only ours 
For his brief nursing time. His tender frame 

We well may cherish and may gather flowers 
To twine around him, yet when first his heart 

Awakens and the childish prattle flows 
From his soft ruddy lips, then must we part 

And all the petals fall from our sweet rose! 
He will be more than lost — our radiant child! 

His mother's memory will hateful grow! 
By Canek's cold and slimy touch defiled, 

His charms will wither and his laughter go ! 

Sandoval. But in the Maya land no child is weaned 
Till the third year — there is still breathing time. 
Canek is old, and the avenging gods 
May drag his soul to Mitnal. Should he die. 
Surely thy father will relent and call us 
Back to the court at Mani, where the child. 
To manhood grown, shall in some happier hour 
Reign king, and thou and I abide with him ! 

Maya. 
I cannot part with him ! His winsome ways 
And trustful smiles twine close about my heart ! 
He speaks no word, 3^et well I understand ! 
If he were grown and uttered thoughts mature 
I would not know the meaning half so well ! 
Yester morn when we together 



56 MAYA ACT III 

Sat behind the heavy curtain 
In the doorway of our chamber 
And a sunbeam through the cranny 
Just beside the curtain entered, 
He upon my knee was sitting 
And he clutched the ray that glittered 
With its countless atoms floating 
In the pathway of the sunbeam. 
Then thy face before the doorway 
Came, and when the gleam had vanished. 
How his eyes grew big with wonder! 
When thy face again withdrawing 
Brought the sunbeam, how he grasped it! 
Then once more it fled, till seeing 
Face and shadow come together. 
With cry of baby laughter 
Thee he caught and held in triumph! 
Sandoval. 

That day, too, dost thou remember. 
When we brought him to the altar 
That was decked with Ixchel's image — 
He, his little hands outstretching, 
Sought to grasp it, while we held him. 
Thrice he struggled, then gave over 
His pursuit of things forbidden. 
And yet every day thereafter 
When he passed the precious image. 
Held his hands forth while his fingers 
Opening, closing, told us plainer 
Far than words his hopeless longing 
For the thing he might not touch. 



SCENE III MAYA 57 

Thus we stretch forth our hands. Is it for fame? 
Fame vanishes. Or power? For power is broken. 
Or treasures which the moth and rust corrupt? 
Or is it love? For pitiless death hides love 
Within the tomb. We know not. We are borne 
Hither and thither and with outstretched hands 
Cry to the winds, and who shall answer us? 

Curtain. 



ACT IV. 

Scene I. 

The same. A year has elapsed. The child has died. 
Sandoval enters from the right. After a few moments 
enter Ambassador from Ahpula, with royal insignia 
and train. Salutations. 

Ambassador. 

Ahpula's daughter too, I fain would see, 
My message is for her as well as thee. 
Sandoval. 

Within the temple chamber ill she lies 
By Canek's arrow struck, and cannot rise. 
Ajnbassador. 

Ahpula yearns to look upon her face 
And hear her voice, and of his royal grace 
Bids 570U to Mani. Sooner had he sent. 
But knew that Canek on revenge was bent. 
Yet now in Canek's death that fear is past 
And his forgiveness comes to you at last. 
Sandoval. [Aside.] In other daj^s what joy! To-day 
what pain! 
Is it too late? [Aloud.] When she grows strong again 
Together back to Mani will we fare. 
But now our thanks and homage thou must bear. 

Ambassador. The king would hear the tale how Canek 
died. 



6o MAYA ACT IV 

Sandoval. To Chatemal we fared with our scant train 
To bring our comfort to a dying friend. 
Returning, the third night, in a thick grove 
We slept, till cries of owls awakened us. 
And Maya asked what might such voices mean. 
Then a dark figure glided through the gloom. 
We stood upon our guard. Soon a hoarse scream 
Rent the still air, and then came answering cries 
From every bush, while Canek's warriors rushed 
To seize and bind us. Backed by the broad trunk 
Of a great elm I stood. The moon shone low 
Behind and lit the form of every foe. 
Till one by one I slew them. Then I saw 
Two warriors of Canek's troop steal forth 
Behind the princess. Her they dragged away, 
I followed. One I slew, the other fled. 
And now our men fell on the foe behind 
And scattered them. With curses wild, the chief 
Essayed to stay their flight and, failing, drew 
His bow. Maya he smote. Slight was the wound, 
But it heals not! Then he, too, turned and fled! 
I pressed him hard till he was brought to bay. 
Madly he fought, but soon I laid him dead, 
With hate still gleaming from his staring eyes. 

Ambassador. As thou hast told it I the tale will tell. 
The king awaits your coming. Fare thee well. 

[Exit with train. 

Sandoval. 
In all the years since first she was my bride 

I never yet returned but she was there 
To greet me. Now the curtains open wide, 



SCENE I MAYA 6i 

Yet empty Is the doorway! Dumb despair 

Clutches my soul! Low through the sultry air 

The rooks wheel mournfully. What may befall 
Too well I know, though my lips do not dare 

Utter the thought that like a somber pall 

Stifles my struggling breath in fears prophetical! 

Accursed Canek! Slight was Maya's wound, 

Yet would not heal. She languished day by day, 

And yester night upon her couch she swooned 

And knew me not, and in the morning gray 
Could not arise; and when I must away, 

Faint was her smile, cold was the kiss she gave, 
And in her dark eyes sparkled not a ray! 

From Canek's poisoned arrow who can save? 

What power redeem her life from the expectant grave? 

When that grim chief I slew, I still could see 

The smile of glittering triumph in his eye, 
And as he lay in death he stared on me, 

A grisly fiend whose hate could never die. 
With his last breath he mocked me, "Live j^our lie. 
False god, with this false priestess!" shrill he cried. 

"But now her days are numbered! Death is nigh! 
Look ! See him ! Black Yuncemil at her side. 
Clutching in bony arms his new, reluctant bride!" 

Enter Maya through, the central doorway, home by her 
maidens on an uncovered litter or cot, on which she lies 
unconscious, and which they place on the terrace in front 
of the dooi'way. Sandoval mounts the terrace and the 



62 MAYA ACT IV 

low sobs of the maidens are heard. As Sandoval reaches 
the litter and bends over it they withdraw. 

Sandoval. 
My queen ! my life ! O steal not thus away 

Without one smile for him who loves thee best! 
Look! 'tis thy husband's lips on thine are pressed 
As tenderly as on thy wedding day ! 

Never before thy answering caress 

Failed when I called thee. Dear, dost thou not know 
'Tis I who hold thee close to shield thee — so, — 

And kiss thy brow and stroke each shining tress ? 

Maya. Ah! Canek! Fiend! Let him not clutch our 
child! 

Sandoval. But Canek is no more. Hush ! All is well. 
Maya. I saw him leering mid the flames of hell ! 
Sandoval. Nay, still thy fluttering heart ! 'Twas I who 
smiled! [Maya falls back upon the litter unconscious. 

Sandoval. [Kneeling.] 
O gracious Lord, I will not ask her life, 
But for her last low words of love I yearn. 
And that her quiet spirit may return 
From paths of madness and from dreams of strife. 

[Evening comes on. Maya slowly awakens, 
looks around distraught, recognizes 
Sandoval^ and smiles. 



SCENE I MAYA 63 

Maya. {^Caressing him.^ 

Love, is it thou? 

A vision strange I dreamed. 
It was the heart of the immortal night, 

We stood upon the brow 
Of the Diviner's House, and silently 
Into the mystery of the solemn sky 

Long did we gaze, till bright 
The Southern Cross arose, and lo! it seemed 
Between its four great stars the while we stood, 

A countless multitude 
Of lesser lights came forth from out the blue, 

And slowly grew 
Into a mass of burning, dazzling gold! 
Then on the Cross was limned a form and face, 
Sad, suffering, fair, its pallid features crowned 

With tender grace. 
And now from all around 

Came starry groups in figures manifold, 
Of children with bright wings 

That floating by the cross in cherub throngs, 
Touched the soft strings 
Of tiny instruments, and sang caressing songs. 
Till the deep heavens rejoiced at the sweet strain 
And the sad face smiled through His tears and pain ! 

Our child was there, 
And held his tiny hands to the pale God 
As he had held them once to Ixchel's form. 
Then the bright cross dissolved and garments white 
Upon the figure fell. Up through the sky 



64 MAYA ACT IV 

He floated, and the children followed Him. 

Now far beneath, the constellations grouped 

Themselves again, and in wild flames they leaped 

Up to the shining Form, but touched it not. 

Amid the fires I saw a hideous face 

1 knew too well. It bore the cruel lips 

And leering eyes of Peten-Itza's lord. 

His gaze was fastened on one child alone — 

On ours — and the old chief struggled hard 

To clutch and drag him down into the flames. 

But the Bright Being in the shining robes 

Stretched forth His arms. "Nay, he is mine," He cried, 

And took the child and held him to His breast 

And there the boy lay quietly and slept, 

As on his mother's bosom. 

With love unspeakable my heart was filled 

For the dear God that plucked our boy from harm 

And sheltered him in His protecting arm 

And my dumb terrors stilled. 
Zamna, nor Kukulcan, nor the "Sun's Eye," 

Is such as He. 
Let me but keep my garden when I die — 
My birds that sing in the immortal tree — 

And I will follow thee, 
With thee adore that pitying face divine — 
Thy God and thy Redeemer shall be mine! 

[She falls into unconsciousness again, then 
awakens with a start. 
Even now He calls me. See His beckoning hand ! 
Now must I go to Him! 



SCENE I MAYA 65 

Sandoval. [With choking voice.^ Nay, my sweet 
queen, 
With me shalt thou abide. To the king's court 
Shall we return and many a golden year 
Together dwell. 

Maya. Nay, husband mine, not there! 

For I must sleep a little with my child. 
But fear not, I will come, as I have said. 
And flutter round thee as in other days. 
We still shall dw^ll together, not at Mani, 
But in the garden by the Tree of Life ! 

[Her eyes close in death. The song of an 
oriole is heard. 

Curtain. 



ACTV. 

Scene I. 

Years have passed. The Spaniards have conquered 
Yucatan and established their capital at Merida, where 
they are now building their cathedral. The scene shows 
a grove outside the city. A great ceiba in the background. 
An altar upon a small eminence. Bishop, priests, and 
friars. A multitude of Spaniards and, in the outskirts, 
natives, drawn by curiosity to see the spectacle. A lued- 
ding procession enters from the left, led by maids of honor. 

Maids. 

Man maj^ dream of power and glory, 

Woman sighs for love alone. 
Man would write his name in story, 
Win an empire, fill a throne; 

But the maiden's dream is purer, 

Valor's homage, poet's lay, 
These the jewels that allure her, 

And the crown — her wedding day! 

Maria^ Countess of Millaflores, follows on her father s 
arm. The maidens separate into two lines and she 
walks between them, followed by Sandoval, conduct- 
ing the mother of the countess. Maids sing. 



68 MAYA ACT V 

Maids. 

Gracious skies are bending o'er thee, 

Happy maiden! Blest thy state, 
With such bridegroom to adore thee. 
Proud and brave and rich and great ! 
[Sandoval and Maria stand before the altai', 
ready to pronounce their vows. The 
Bishop of Merida delivers to them his 
exhortation. 
Bishop. The Lord Himself ordained the Sacrament 
Wherein ye shall be joined. Joyous the rite. 
Yet if defiled by passions obdurate. 
The hopes will wither and the joy will fade. 
Then purify your souls, invoke the Lord 
Whose presence blessed the twain at Cana's feast. 
To sanctify your nuptials till they shine, 
An emblem of the sacred bond that joins 
Christ with his church for all eternity. 

[Silence. The song of an oriole is heard. 
Wilt thou, Pedro, this woman, Mary, take 
To be thy wife, according to the rite 
Of our most Holy Mother Church of God? 

[A deathly pallor is seen on Sandovai/s face. 
He cannot speak. The music of the 
songs he has sung with Maya is faintly 
heard from behind the scenes. He seems 
unconscious of what is around hi?n, but 
mechanically draivs out a wedding-ring. 
An oriole descends and lights upon the 
hand that holds it. The music continues. 
The oriole's song is stifled and the bird 



SCENE I MAYA 69 

hides in the folds of his cloak. Sandoval 
falls. Amazement. In opening his gar- 
ments to give him air a golden medal is 
found hanging by a chain from his neck. 
The Bishop examines it, and finds on it 
the image of a serpent with feathers. He 
recoils, flings the medal away, and looks 
with scorn upon the dead Sandoval. 
Lifting his hands the BiSHOP cries to the 
multitude. 
Bishop. 

The doom of heresy, foul, unconfessed ! 
The proof was here upon his guilty breast ! 

[Confusion. The bride is borne away. The 
Monks gather around the body and 
chant. 
Monks. 

It is the wrath of God ! *'I will repay," 
The Lord hath said. Let them who disobey 
And wander in the wilderness astray, 
Fear Him who drags into the light of day 
Their secret sins ! He doeth all things well ! 
Crushing His foes in retribution fell. 
Hurling the infidel to flames of hell! 
To His avenging power let the loud anthem swell ! 

[All retire, leaving the corpse alone. One 
MoNK^ however, drawn by pity, remains 
and leans over it. 



70 MAYA ACT V 

Monk. 

Poor soul, for whom Christ died, how can they tell 

How sore thou wert distressed ! 
What recollection, torturing as hell, 

Thy heavy heart oppressed! 

Was it memory of a bygone love 

That smote and quenched thy life? 
I too have loved ! None knows save One above 

How bitter was the strife ! 

Did thy faith falter? So too upon me 
Hath doubt's dark shadow pressed; 
Yet He forgave ! So may He pardon thee 
And fold thee to His breast! 

[Kneels, makes the sign of the Cross, kisses 
Sandoval^S forehead. The music of the 
songs which Sandoval and Maya sang 
together is heard in the distance, and 
two orioles from the thickets close at 
hand take their flight, side by side, to the 
great ceiba in the background, where 
they sing loud and clear and then spread 
their wings and soar together into the 
blue sky. 

Curtain. 



DE8 18 1911 



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